Book strap



March 6, 1962 Filed Feb. 5, 1959 G. x. FOLEY 3,023,941

BOOK STRAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

March 6, 1962 G. x. FOLEY 3,023,941

BOOK STRAP Filed Feb. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent Filed Feb. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 791,364 2 Claims. (Cl. 224-5) The present invention relates to a book strap which is particularly adapted for carrying a number of different sized books.

A particular object of the present invention is to pro vide a book strap in which books may be carried in a natural position so as to avoid fatigue and difficulties due to the cumberness of the books wearer. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an attractive compact book strap carrier which may be folded into a compact size for storing when not in use. A further object of the present invention is to provide a book strap carrier which may be secured about books quite easily and in which books may be removed quickly and efiiciently. The carrier is designed to secure books without likelihood of the books slipping from the carrier and without likelihood of chance slackening of the carrier straps.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a book strap carrier which is particularly attractive to children of school ages because of its facility of use, certainty of operation, adaptability and attractiveness.

The present invention provides a carrier strap adapted to be worn about the users neck supporting books in front of and against the chest of the user in such a way as to support the weight of the books against the body and thereby free the wearers arms. The books are so supported as to permit the wearer to support the weight of the books against his body or in his arms thereby giving the wearer a choice of alternating the manner in which the weight of the books are supported. In addition, the strap is so designed as to permit its support on coat hooks etc.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, and,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modification of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. .1, the carrier is formed prin cipally of two straps and 12 which may be formed of any suitable flexible material such as a woven natural or synthetic fiber or an extruded plastic material. It has been found that a Woven synthetic plastic material is particularly useful and attractive. The straps may be formed in any color. It has been found, however, that synthetic plastic straps selected in contrasting school colors are particularly attractive and desirable- Straps 10 and 12 are stitched or otherwise suitably secured together at right angles by stitching 14. Strap 12 forms a continuous loop while strap 10 is formed with ends 16 and 18. End 18 has secured to it a buckle 20 providing a slot 22 adapted to engage end 16 of the belt 10. The buckle 20 may be secured to end 18 by looped-over section 24 suitably secured together by heat-sealing stitching or other suitable means. End 16 may be provided with a series of clasps 30 projecting through the strap with a male portion on one side and corresponding female portion on the other side of the strap so that the end 16 may be looped through the slot or opening 22 and fastened on itself. A plurality of these studs 30 are provided so that the loop 32 formed by strap 10 when fastened, may be adjusted to any desired size. This strap 10 fits about the width of the books contained as is illustrated by the dotted outline 34 representing a series of books.

Strap 12 has positioned on it, a clasp 36. This clasp 36 is formed as a rectangular member of suitable material such as rigid plastic or the like with an elongated slot 38 therethrough. Opposite portions of the strap 12 project through this slot 38, thereby dividing the strap 12 into an upper and lower loop portion illustrated respectively at 44 and 46. This strap 12 may thereby be considered as forming substantially a figure of eight pattern.

The strap 12 has a clasp 36 located within the loop 32 formed by the strap 10. It has been found that this location of the clasp 36 is of some importance to assure a proper arrangement and use, of the carrier. The strap 12 is designed to fit longitudinally about the books as indicated by the dotted outline 34. When this carrier is in use, the wearer may fit the loop 44 over his or her head resting the rear bight portion 50 against the back of the neck. In this position, it will be noted the flat surface of the strap 12 rests in face to face relation with the wearers neck so that there is no cutting of the edges of the strap 12 into the wearer. The loop 44 is sized to adjust the height of the books indicated at 34 to the level of the wearers chest thus giving support to the books which are carried by both the neck and the chest of the wearer. As previously indicated the wearer may relieve the weight of the books around the neck and chest by lifting them with his or her arms.

A modification of this design is illustrated in FIG. 2. This arrangement is designed principally for wearing the strap over the shoulder and for the carrying of the books in a vertical plane rather than the horizontal plane as is the case in the preferred embodiment. In this arrangement, two straps 52 and 54 are secured together at right angles to one another by stitching 56 or other suitable means. Strap 54 forms a complete enclosed loop with a clasp 58 intermediate its ends dividing the strap 54 into a figure of eight arrangement with an upper loop 60 and the lower loop 62. Strap 52 is formed with free ends 64 and 66 each carrying a series of stud elements 68. These stud elements are spaced uniformly on each end 64 and 66 with the elements on end 64 facing and complementary with the stud elements 68 on end 66. The male or female portions may be secured to end 66 or alternately to end 64 provided the opposing stud elements are complementary. This strap 52 forms a loop 70 with the strap 52 extending about the strap 54. Strap 52 is adapted to enclose books indicated in dotted outline at 72 in a horizontal plane while strap 54 is adapted to enclose books indicated at 72 in a vertical plane, that is in a plane parallel with the pages of the books. The strap 54 may be tightened sufiiciently to securely engage the books by moving the clasp 58 downwardly towards them or may be raised to release a book contained within the carrier for subsequent use.

In place of stitching 14 illustrated in FIG. 2 and stitching 56 illustrated in FIG. 2 interengageable studs may be used. In this modification a male and female stud connected one to each of the straps are adapted to interengage with one another. These studs permit relative rotation of the straps over 180 so that, in the case of FIG. 1 strap 10 and strap 12 may be parallelly aligned when not in use to facilitate folding. Similarly in FIG. 2 straps 54 and 52 may be parallelly aligned to facilitate folding when the unit is not in use. In the modification of FIG. 2 a series of snap fasteners or interengageable studs indicated generally at may be used to lock the clasp 58 in position. In this arrangement several male halves of the stud indicated at 81 may be connected to one portion of the strap 54. A corresponding female portion of the stud indicated at 82 may be connected to the opposite portion of the strap 54. A single female section 82 may be used for a number of male sections 81. When a female section 82 and a male section 81 are snap fastened together, they form a unitary enlargement which will not fit through the slot in the clasp 58, thus preventing the clasp 58 from being drawn upwardly over the stud. To loosen the clasp, the stud is separated into its male and female sections and they are passed individually through the slot in the clasp.

A stud 85 having male and female sections respectively on straps 54 and 5 2 may be used to interengage these straps at their point of intersection opposite the stitching 56.

What is claimed is:

1. A strap carrier for carrying one or more books comprising a pair of straps, with one strap forming an integral loop and the other having ends, clasp means slideably positioned on said one strap bringing together opposite portions of said one strap and dividing said integral loop into a figure-of-eight configuration with a lower loop for encircling said books and with said clasp adapted to tighten said lower loop about said books, means securing said other strap intermediate its ends to said one strap with said other strap lying in a plane normal to the plane of said figure-of-eight configuration and with said other strap secured to said one strap in said lower loop in a position diametrically opposite said clasp means, means for removeably securing said ends together whereby said other strap forms a second loop adapted to encircle said books in a plane normal to said lower loop with said clasp means positioned in an area of said integral loop adjacent the cross over points of said straps.

2. A book strap carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one strap is provided with a plurality of studs, having opposed mating male and female sections secured to opposite portions of said one strap in an area adjacent said clasp means with said sections adapted to slide through said clasp means when disengaged, and when engaged, adapted to engage said clasp means to limit sliding movement thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 277,494 Lindsay May 15, 1883 921,812 Dorf May 18, 1909 1,611,455 Keeler Dec. 21, 1926 2,532,306 Herbert Dec. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,395 Great Britain 1907 963,214 France Dec. 26, 1949 

